Balls!
Mattox cursed under his breath as he yanked the handle of the large wooden door. How could he forget that the entrance to the rotunda from the kitchens was locked that time of night? There was nothing else for it. He was just going to have to trek all the way back around to get to the staircase leading to the templars' quarters. He breezed through the great hall, glancing at the large grandfather clock standing against the wall as he went.
Damn, only ten more minutes.
How was he ever going to make it to the Harrowing Chamber in time? If he was late, he'd end up pulling guard duty over the privy for the next week. The very idea of it urged him to pick up his pace, but not enough to call attention to himself.
Earlier that day, Knight Commander Greagoir informed Mattox he was the one chosen to act as executioner for a Harrowing that evening. It was the first time that particular task had been entrusted to the young templar, and he certainly didn't want to muck it up before it even began.
He wasn't told which apprentice would be going through the ritual. That was a detail only the Knight Commander and First Enchanter were apprised to. Mattox only knew the apprentice in question was a female. The identity of the mage was of little consequence. The young templar was prepared to perform his duty.
It wasn't as if he relished the idea of killing anyone, but if it became necessary, it was only because the apprentice in question had become possessed by a demon. Protecting the world from that sort of evil was the reason Mattox became a templar in the first place, and he was proud to fulfill his sacred trust. If he didn't make it to the chamber in time, however, it would be the very last time he would be given that particular assignment.
Once he was back in the corridor, Mattox took a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching before he sprinted down the hall. The heavy templar armor he wore made running a bit more challenging, but he still made good time. He chastised himself for his procrastination. He had been waiting to catch a glimpse of Sabrina coming out of the dining hall after the evening meal and completely lost track of time.
That night had been no different from any other for him. He lingered by the door for her just as he always did. She and her constant companion Jowan were regularly among the last to leave the hall in the evening, so Mattox thought nothing of it at first. When he realized it was nearly nine and she still hadn't emerged, he decided to walk through the dining room to get to the inner chamber through the scullery. At least that way he could spot her as he walked by. Much to his dismay, neither she nor Jowan were present. He found it a bit odd that he hadn't seen her all day, but he didn't have any time to dwell on it. He needed to get to the Harrowing Chamber as quickly as possible.
When he rounded the corner into the middle forum and almost ran straight into a tall blonde mage leaning against the wall next to the staircase. "Hello Mattox. In a hurry to send another apprentice to the Maker, I see."
"Hello, Anders," the templar sneered. "And I notice that you're not in a hurry to do anything, as usual."
"I hope you didn't hurt yourself coming up with that one," the mage smirked. "Anyway, I'm just waiting here to tell our friend good luck when she arrives. You know, before she's sent to her doom. It would be a damned shame to kill this one, though. Absolutely breathtaking. In fact, I've had my eye on her for quite a while. If she survives, maybe I'll have to get to know her more intimately. "
Mattox stole a glance at the clock on the wall. Five minutes and counting. He didn't have time to deal with Anders at that moment. As it was, even if he made it on time, he was still going to get a lecture from Greagoir. The last thing he wanted to do was arrive late.
He darted up the stairs, grateful to leave Anders behind. The mage had a reputation around the tower for being a philanderer. It was rumored that his favorite pastime was taking the virtue of newly harrowed females. From what Mattox heard, once the healer had his way with them, he would immediately move on to his next victim. As he rounded the corridor into the room outside the Chamber, the young templar wondered if he should warn the apprentice in question of Anders' less than honorable intentions, assuming she even survived.
The tower clock rang out its last chime to signal the hour when Mattox closed the Chamber door behind him. He was trying to collect himself when, Greagoir addressed him with a disapproving frown.
"Cutting it a little close, aren't we templar?"
Mattox gave the older man a sharp nod. "I apologize, Knight Commander. I was unavoidably delayed."
Greagoir crossed his arms. "For future reference, ser, nothing is more important than the orders I give you. Now, go take your place by the pedestal and for the Maker's sake, try to gain your composure before we begin."
"Yes, Knight Commander," the younger templar concurred with another terse nod.
After securing his position, beads of perspiration began making their way down Mattox's brow to his cheeks as he attempted to catch his breath from the exertion of running. As inconspicuously as possible, the templar removed his metal gauntlet and quickly wiped the sweat from his face with his bare hand. When he heard the door begin to creak, he shoved his hand back inside his glove, the sensation of his wet palm inside cold metal eliciting a shivering cringe.
He saw the aged First Enchanter enter the Chamber with a woman trailing close behind. At first, he couldn't see which apprentice was about to take part in the Harrowing ritual. When Irving stepped aside, Mattox's knees buckled, and he almost lost his balance. It was her. Sabrina.
Suddenly, the events of the day made sense. Apprentices who were to take their Harrowing were not allowed anything to eat the day of the ritual, and they were put in solitary confinement for the last twelve hours. That was why she hadn't been in the dining room, and that was why he hadn't seen her since early that morning.
As the Knight Commander spoke about the rite of passage, Mattox couldn't help but stare at the apprentice. Honey-blonde curls cascaded across her shoulders while the fringe of bangs caressing the bridge of her nose perfectly complemented a pair of sparkling, bright blue eyes. She scanned the room, looking over the men who formed a half circle around the pedestal and stopped when she spied Mattox standing in their midst. Her full lips curved into a small smile when her eyes met his. Without giving it a second thought, he swallowed past the lump in his throat and returned the gesture.
Irving spoke to Sabrina, bidding her to look away. Mattox tried his best to concentrate on the grim task ahead, but the sway of her full hips as she sashayed toward the podium drove him to distraction. When she placed her hands upon the dais, she was close enough that the sweet aroma of her perfume made him dizzy. He shut his eyes and said a silent prayer to the Maker, asking Him to help her resist temptation and make it through the trial.
When the apprentice finally entered the Fade, Greagoir glanced up at the large clock in the corner. "Ten after nine," he announced before presenting Mattox with a grave stare. "If she hasn't defeated the demon by ten after ten, you will strike the killing blow."
Mattox was forced to steel his countenance before answering the older man. He couldn't allow Greagoir to discern his feelings for Sabrina. Although the apprentice wasn't aware of the young templar's infatuation, if Greagoir ever suspected, it would bode ill for both of them.
"Yes, Knight Commander," the young man finally replied with a fist to his heart.
Only twenty minutes passed before Irving announced that the demons which had been put in the Fade with the girl were vanquished. She did it. For the first time, Mattox actually witnessed a successful Harrowing.
Good job, Sabrina.
Greagoir peered down at the unconscious girl lying on the floor before speaking to Irving. "You will need to get one of your mages to come collect her and take her back to her dormitory."
"Of course, Greagoir," the old enchanter replied. "Anders volunteered for the job. He's waiting right outside."
Not Anders. Anybody but him.
Mattox knew exactly what the blonde mage had planned. He couldn't allow that to happen to Sabrina. She deserved better than that.
"No!" Mattox blurted before stammering his explanation. "I…I apologize, First Enchanter, but I believe Anders' intentions toward this mage are rather nefarious. I will take her back to her room." He turned to Greagoir with a respectful bow. "If the Knight Commander will allow it, that is."
The Commander regarded the young templar thoughtfully for a moment before agreeing to his offer. "Take her," he groused.
Mattox gathered Sabrina in his arms as gently as he could then carried her through the door and down the stairs. Anders, anticipating Irving's call to complete the task, was standing at the bottom of the steps wearing a bored expression. He held out his arms as Mattox approached.
"Thanks for the delivery," he grinned. "I'll take it from here, templar."
Mattox waggled his head. "No, Anders. I'm taking her back to the apprentices' quarters. You can go slither back to whatever hole you crawled out of."
The tall mage gave an easy laugh. "I should have known you'd end up taking this job away from me, Mattox." An uneven smirk played at the corners of his mouth. "That's alright. You go ahead and carry her all the way back to her room. Seems like a lot of work to spend time with someone who's unconscious. Don't worry, though. I'll just visit her tomorrow when she's awake. Much more fun that way, anyhow."
The templar sneered at him. "Stay away from her, mage. If you know what's good for you, you won't come within ten feet of Sabrina."
Anders eyes trailed up the stairs above Mattox's head and grinned. "First Enchanter, how very lovely to see you again. Mattox was just telling me how anxious he is to take charge of our young friend here."
Anger flashed in the templar's whiskey brown eyes. Anders was so smug, so condescending. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was holding Sabrina in his arms, Mattox would have broken the arrogant bastard's nose.
"Excuse me," the soldier hissed.
Anders moved to the side and bowed low to the templar, the cat-like grin never leaving his face. More than anything, Mattox wanted to lay the blonde mage out cold on the stone floor but chose to continue on his way without another word. It would do no good for Irving to see how much Anders had gotten under his skin when it came to Sabrina.
Mattox kept his eyes forward as he made his way through the templars' quarters. When he finally reached the landing on the third floor, he stopped and gazed down at the woman he carried. She was a vision of loveliness, cradled peacefully in his strong arms. He said another silent prayer to the Maker, thanking Him for bringing her through her trial safely. She stirred, prompting him to realize he needed to start walking again.
When he reached her dormitory, he took her to her bed and lowered her onto the mattress. After a glance around the room to ensure none of the other apprentices were awake, he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her brow.
"Goodnight, Sabrina," he whispered as he covered her with the thick blanket folded at her feet.
The moonlight shining in through the cracks of a nearby boarded up window shone its heavenly light on her face. Mattox sat down next to her and watched her breathe evenly as she slept. After removing the plate glove from his right hand, he brushed the fringe of her hair aside, recalling the first time he laid eyes on her.
He had not yet taken his vows when he was assigned to Kinloch Hold. At only sixteen, he was apprehensive about working alongside so many men more seasoned than himself. Although he had resided there his entire life, he had only trained as a templar at the Bournshire monastery for three years before being sent to the Circle.
After being at Kinloch for less than a week, Mattox was patrolling the corridors of the apprentices' floor when he quite literally bumped into Sabrina. She was coming out of her dormitory reading a book, and he was looking around trying to gain his bearings when she ran into him. The impact knocked him back a step and forced her to the ground. He offered his apologies and held out his hand to help her to her feet. When she looked into his eyes and smiled then took his hand, it was all over for him. He fell head over heels right then and there.
Since that morning, Mattox spent every day trying to find any way he could to be near her. He even took on extra duties hoping to catch just a glimpse of her. Occasionally, she would actually speak to him, and it always brightened his day. Most of the time, their exchange consisted of nothing more than short friendly greetings when she would walk past him and smile with a cordial, "Hi Mattox." Unfortunately, during those times, he was ever only able to manage a wave and a sheepish grin.
He was aware what he felt for her was wrong, and he knew he had no chance with her, but he just couldn't help himself. He was a templar, and his whole life revolved around one mage. A mage who most likely didn't even know he existed beyond the guard she just happened to pass in the corridors several times a day. She had no idea she secretly held his heart in her hands, and, sadly for him, she never would.